- office



June 12, 1945.

J. R. olsl-IEIl E-r Al.

GAUGE Filed Jan. 27, 1943 f ATTORNEYS INVENTORS JOHN 1l.o\sHel QQ ekwm c. (-)oRJoN Patented June 12', 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAUGE j Y John R.. Oishe, Bulalo, and Erwin C.' Horton, Hamburg, N. Y., assignors to Trico Products Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application January 27, 1943, Serial N0. 473,746

.6 Claims. (,Cl. 11G- 114) invention relates to a micrometer type of gauge and it has for its object to provide an inv mined by a micrometer vinstrument utilizing an amplifying leverage forV indicating the dimen-A sional measurement by the aid of a; pointer. Y

The object of the presen-t invention is toprovide a gauging instrument of this character by which comparative tests of articles may be read-l ily made by those whose eyesight is vitally impaired or lost entirely. The invention further has for its object to provide an:y instrument of this type which is Apractical and eflicent and may be used by bli'ndvpersons in a facile manner for thel accurate testing'of'work pieces.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of an instrmnent ver-nbod-ying the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a-fragmentary side elevation with portions-brokenaway forclarity;

away to show more clearly the mounting and elevational location of the pointer and the tolerance limitl indicator',w and Fig. :iis asectiona-l view depicting more clearly the retractor for the Work engaging plunger.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I indicates a box-like housing or casing for the gauging mechanism, and 2 indicates the removable cover having a window opening 3 with a marginal ilange 4 to provide a seat for a window panel 5 of glass, plastic, or the like. A retaining plate 6 may be spot welded or otherwise secured to the underside of the cover and ln overhanging relation to one edge of the panel for securing the same in position .While a septum plate 'l which provides a nished backing for the window and a shield to the underlying mechanism, has a bead portion 8 clamping upon the opposite edge of the panel. The plate 1 which is secured in position by the cover attaching screws 9 has an offset portion spaced from the panel and given support by a shoulder ID. Plus and minus tolerance indicators Il and l2 are visible through the windows and each is herein depicted in the form oi' an arm mounted on the underside of the cover by 'a friction held stud or rivet i3'. By means or a screw driver the studs may be turnedv to adjust' the location. of the indicators in the window. A. pointer l5 operates in the window to indicate the dimensional characteristic of the Work piece-,and this pointer is operatively connected to a work engaging plunger f6. by a movement amplifying leverage generally shown as ll. The plunger is spring projected but normally held retracted by a spring I14-acting through. a bell'crank lever I9", the latter being rendered inoperative upon. depressing a release. button 18 so that the plunger will. be free to; performthet gauging. operation, all of which ismore fully described. in copending application Serial Number' 441,614, which issued November' 7, l'9`4,.as Patent No. 2,362,203.-

In accordance with the. illustrated embodiment of" the present invention, the window panel. 5i ist formedW-ith. an arcuate slot 2U defined by an upstanding rim 2i, vand; extending upwardly through the slotare a pointer carried pin 22' and a. pair of tolerance indicator pins 23 one on each indicator arm. Preferably, the pointer pin 22V ex- :3o Fig; 3 is an' end elevation with portions broken` tends higher than the tolerance pins 23. for more readily detecting the pointer location. The arcuatel path of travel for the pointer pin is shown beyond the` pins 23 to give a triangular arrangement of points which are susceptible to touch. The operator, with one hand resting on the instrument and using the other hand tol insert a work piece between a fixedanvil' 2l, will with his thumb depress the release button topermitthe gauging plunger moving against the work piece and then with one orl more lingers feel the relative location of the pointer and tolerance pins 22 to thereby determine the acceptibility of the tested piece. v

A clamping plate 25 underlying the tolerance members adjacent the window gives substantial support .to the tolerance pins and functionally binds them in their given adjustments against the panel retaining plate 6 under the pressure exerted by the end screws 26. The pointer arm swings in a plane beneath the supporting plate 25 and is free to yield to ringer pressure relative to the more substantially supported tolerance indicators. Consequently, the operator may readily detect the pointer by reason of its greater yieldableness of flexibleness under light finger pressure. The index and second ngers may rest upon the rim of the slot in a position to overhang the tolerance pins suiiclently far for being wiped lightly by the pointer pin as it swings in its path of operation. The nger is supported ilrmly on the rim, which latter is broadened at the inner side of the slot to provide a iinger supporting pad 21, and therefore the projecting tip of the linger is positioned to overhand the moving pointer pin which extends higher than the tolerance pin and conforms to the upward curvature of` the under surface of the ilngertip. However the pointer pin may be of the same upward extent or even to a less extent if desired, in which event the linger will be accordingly adjusted to contact both pins to obtain the reading. The closer the tolerance pins are brought together the further they areV spaced from the path of the pointer pin thereby to facilitate the reading, this inward adjustment being accomplished by reason of the eccentric mountings of the pins.

The gauge of the present invention therefore utilizes the tangible point principle of the Braille system for the blind, the location of the pointer pin relative to either or both tolerance pins being readilydetermined by the touch, and while the foregoing description has been given in detail it is obvious that the inventive principles involved may be applied to other physical embodiments without ydeparting from the scope and spirit of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is':

l. A micrometer gauge'for the blind, comprising a pointer movable back and forth in a deiinite path and having a laterally extending upstanding touch pinindicating a dimensional characteristic o'f a workpiece, and a tolerance indicator carrying a second upstanding touch pin in proximity to the path of the pointer pin, said upstanding touch pins providing tangible pointsfor obtaining the reading of the gauge by touch.

2. A micrometer gauge for the blind, comprising a movable pointer having an upstanding terminal part to provide a tangible point projecting through a window slot and` standing normal to.

the plane of the window, anda tolerance limit member arranged adjacent the path of the Vpointer part and likewise having an upstanding terminal part standing normal to the window to provide a tangible point projecting to a different extent than the pointer part whereby both tangible points are subject to the touch of the user, both upstanding terminal parts projecting in the same direction vand being substantially parallel to each other.

3,. AV micrometer gauge for the blind, compris-V ing a casing having an arcuate slot with an up- -standing marginal rimv in the form cfa finger supporting pad, gauging means in the casing including a swingable pointer having an upstanding tangible point projecting through the slot and above the marginal rim, a fixed standing tangible point projecting above the pad adjacent the path of the first tangible point and in the same direction as the latter but to a lesser extent, the second tangible point being disposed between the path of the iirst tangible point and the pad for engaging a pad supported finger at a place closer to the pad than the place of contact for the movable tangible point;

4. A micrometer gauge for the blind, comprising a casing having a window slot, gauging means in the casing including a pointer havin-g an upstanding tangible point projecting through and f moving in the window slot lengthwise of the latter, and a tolerance limit member having a second tangible point arranged adjacent the path of the iirst tangible point but projecting to a different extent than the latter, the one of said tangible points which project to a greater extent being yieldably supported for depression relative to the other tangible point.

5. A micrometer gauge for the blind, comprising a casing having a cover with a Window slot, gauging means in the casing including a pointer with an upstanding .tangible i point projecting through and moving in the window slot longitudinally thereof, plus and minus tolerance indicators adjustably carried by the cover and each having an upstanding tangible point adjacent the path of the first tangible point, and a clamping plate secured to the cover adjacent the window slot and underlying the tolerance indicators for giving substantial support to their tangible points and to secure the' indicators iirmly in adjusted position. y

6. A micrometer gauge for the blind, comprising a casing having a Window slot, a work engag'- ing member movably supported thereon, gauging means in the casing operable by the Work engaging member and including a pointer having an upstanding tangible point projecting through and moving in the window slot lengthwise of the latter, manually controlled retractable means operable to withdraw the work engaging member and to hold the tangible point normally at one end of the window slot, and a tolerance indicator having a second upstanding point arranged adjacent the path of the rst tangible point for joint touch reading therewith following the manual actuation of said retractable means to release the work engaging member.

JOHN R. orsHEI. ERWIN c. HORTON. 

